William stenger



(N0 Model.)

W. .STENGER. GAR COUPLING.

No. 592,892. Patented Nov. 2, 1897.

Hdiigessas uunms PETERS OOVPWTOLITHOWWASHINGYON n c has a flaring mouthfor WILLIAM STENGER, OF GERMANO,

PATENT OFFICE,

OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO V. E. ROBERTS, OF SAME PLACE.

-CAR-CQUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,892, dated November2, 1897. Application filed May4, 1897. Serial No. 635,056- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 0

Be it known that I, WILLIAM STENGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Germano, in the county of Harrison and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Car- Coupling, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in car-couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofcar-couplings and to provide a simple, strong, and durable one capableof coupling automatically and of being readily uncoupled without goingbetween cars and adapted touncouple automatically in event of a carbeing overturned, and thereby prevent one car from dragging another overan embankment.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a car-couplingconstructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to acar. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same. Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional View.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

1 designates a draw-head mounted on a car 2 and cushioned by a spring 3,and it is provided with a longitudinal link-opening and guiding a link 4into the same. The link, which consists of a straight bar, is providedwith semi arrowheads 5, forming shoulders at the upper face of the barand providing beveled ends, which are adapted when .two cars cometogether for coupling to raise and pass under a transversely-disposedspring-pressed bar 6 and engage the same, whereby the cars are coupled.The spring pressed bar 6, which is mounted in an opening 7 of thedraw-head, is guided by vertical rods 8, mounted in suitableperforations of the draw head and extendingbeneath the same. The lowerportions of the rods 8 are enlarged to form shoulders for engaging thelower face of the spring-pressed bar 6, and spiral springs 9 areinterposed between the upper face of the bar 6 and the top wall of theopening 7, which is substantially L-shaped in side elevation, beingprovided at the bottom with a rearward extension.

The upper ends of the rods are connected by a cross-piece 10, locatedabove the drawhead and secured to the rods by upper and lower nuts 11.The upper terminals of the rods are threaded to receive the nuts11,which engage the upper and lower faces of the crosspiece 10.

The operation of uncoupling is performed by means of a transverserock-shaft 12, journaled in suitable bearings of the car 2 and arrangedat the outer edge of the end sill, which forms a narrow platform in theusual manner. The rock-shaft is provided with a forwardly-extendingcentrally-arranged arm 13,; loosely engaging under the connectingcross-piece l0 and adapted to lift the same when the rock-shaft ispartially rotated. By

arranging the forwardly-extending arm 13 beneath the cross-piece 10 inthe manner shown the connection does not interfere with the longitudinalplay of the draw-head.

The rook-shaft is provided at its ends with handles 14 to enable theoperation of uncoupling to be performed from either side of the car, andit hasa centrally-arranged inwardlyextending arm 15, located directlyover the platform or end sill and adapted to be depressed by the foot ofa train hand, whereby the operation of uncoupling may be performed Whilestanding upon the end sill. The end sill is provided with a slot oropening 16 to receive the foot-operated arm 15, and the latter ispreferably formed integral with the arm 13, as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

Any suitable means may be provided for enabling the operation ofuncoupling to be performed from the top of the car, and anupwardly-extending arm may beprovided for turning the rock-shaft fromthe platform of a coach.

Should a car overturn, the draw-head will be arranged horizontally,which will bring the link edgewise to the spring-pressed bar,

and as the shoulder is on the upper face of the link the latter willpull out of the drawhead.

The rods, which are vertically movable in the draw-head, are provided attheir lower ends with heads forming stops to limitthe upward movement ofthem.

It will be seen that the car-coupling is simple and comparativelyinexpensive in construction, that it is automatic in coupling, and thatit may be readily uncoupled without going between cars.

It will also be apparent that it will uncouple automatically should acar overturn and that it is adapted to be coupled with any ordinarypin-and-link car-coupling, as the drawhead is provided with acoupling-pin perforation in advance of the spring-pressed bar.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. The combination of a draw-head, a link,vertically-movable rods extending through the top and bottom of thedraw-head and provided with shoulders located at the bottom of thedraw-head, the transverse bar mounted in the draw-head on the rods andengaging the link, said transverse barbeing capable of vertical movementindependent of the rods and adapted to be engaged by the shouldersthereof, springs disposed on the rods and interposed between the top ofthe draw-head and the transverse bar, and means for lifting the rods,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination with a car having a projecting end sill provided inits upper face with a slot or opening 16 disposed longitudinally of thecar, a draw-head mounted thereon, vertical guide-rods passing throughthe draw-head, a transverse bar arranged on the guides and adapted toengage a link, a cross piece conneetin g the upper ends of the rods, arock-shaft journaled on the end sill of a car and provided with an.outwardly-extending arm loosely engaging the lower face of thecross-piece, and the inwardly-extending arm rigid with the rock-shaft,arranged over the slot or opening 16, and adapted to be depressed intothe same by the foot, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM STENGER.

Witnesses:

W. E. ROBERTS, ALPHEUS LOWMILLER.

